COMBINATION OF AN ELECTRIC ROTARY MACHINE AND OF AN ELECTRIC CONTROL UNIT IN AN AUTOMOBILE

• US 20120060047A1
• Filed: 10/26/2009
• Published: 03/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Equipements Electriques Moteur (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Equipements Electriques Moteur (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Cuoq, Damien
• Granted Patent: US 8,818,590 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/3
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/26 using computer, e.g. microprocessor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/654 using techniques specially adapted for alterable solid state memories, e.g. for EEPROM or flash memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57

Abstract

A system including at least one electric rotary machine and an integrated control circuit and an electronic control unit, the system being embarked in an automobile. The integrated control circuit of the system includes a RAM connected to the electronic control unit via a data communication link, and the electronic control unit includes a rewritable memory. The system further includes a configuration data permanent storage of the system in the rewritable memory as well as an upload of the configuration data into the RAM during a configuration phase of the system. The system herein enables the integrated control circuit of the electric rotary machine to be standardized by virtue of the fact that the configuration data are no longer written in a read-only memory but reside in a RAM of this circuit.

Claims

1. A rotary electric machine system (1) comprising at least one electric rotary machine (10) and an integrated control circuit (14) and an electronic control unit (4), said system (1) being installed in an automobile, said integrated control circuit (14) system (1) including a RAM (140) connected to said electronic control unit (4) via a data communication link (3), and said electronic control unit (4) including a rewritable memory (41), characterized in that it comprises a configuration data permanent storage (410, 411) of said system (1) in said rewritable memory (41) as well as an upload of said configuration data (410, 411;

141, 142) into said RAM (140) during a configuration phase of said system (1).

2. A rotary electric machine system according to claim 1, characterized in that said configuration data comprise at least one parameter table (141) and/or a control software component (142).

3. A rotary electric machine system according to claim 1, characterized in that error detection is carried out on said configuration data (141, 142) uploaded into said integrated control circuit (14), after uploading of said data.

4. A rotary electric machine system according to claim 3, characterized in that default configuration data (143) are used by the integrated control circuit (14) if an error is detected.

5. A rotary electric machine system according to claim 4, characterized in that default configuration data (143) are the last valid configuration data used by the integrated control circuit (14).

6. A rotary electric machine system according to claim 3, characterized in that new default configuration data (143) are uploaded into said RAM (140) of said integrated control circuit (14) if an error is detected.

7. A rotary electric machine system according to claim 1, characterized in that an uploading period of said configuration data is masked by an anticipated command to startup the system (1).

8. A rotary electric machine system according to claim 1, characterized in that said integrated control circuit (14) is built around an ASIC.

9. A rotary electric machine system according to claim 1, characterized in that said electric rotary machine (10) is an alternator-starter.

10. A rotary electric machine system according to claim 1, characterized in that said electric rotary machine (10) is an alternator and said integrated control circuit (14) is a regulator of said alternator.